Top US diplomat Marco Rubio is in Bahrain after promising Gulf allies that Washington would protect their interests as it seeks to hammer out a final settlement to end the war with Iran, AFP reports.

Rubio is due to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain today after sitting down with the leaders of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates yesterday.

Rubio is on a regional tour to reassure the Gulf states, which were targeted by Tehran’s missiles and drones during the conflict and saw their crucial oil and gas shipments effectively cut off by an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

During a visit to Kuwait City, Rubio said Washington would be on the same page as Gulf states as it wrangles with Iran over a permanent settlement to the conflict.